Title Needed
by Pikeru's Angel
Summary: How do you know about the people?” It was funny how seven little words could turn someones life on its axsis. Rating subject to change.


A/N: This is a persistent plot bunny production. *bows* Enjoy.

_Fowl Manor. Year, 2004_

Henry 'Mutt' Jones the Third could only stare as the Bentley that had picked him up at the Dublin airport approached Fowl Manor. An old friend and contact of his, Artemis Fowl I, had invited him over. Said it had been too long since they hadn't seen each other since his sons birth. It was true. It had been over eighteen years since their last meeting in person, and he was excited to catch up.

"We're here." The man who had picked him up -the bodyguard, if he remembered correctly- said unnecessarily. Henry nodded numbly as he got out, and was surprised to find himself stumble when he realised the car had still been pulling into the drive. He chuckled to himself silently; it wasn't as if he hadn't jumped out of a car before, and thoes ones had been going at a much higher speed than five MPH.

The bodyguard stepped out of the car as Henry stared at Fowl Manor. He cleared his throat, and Henry turned to face him. "Yes?" He questioned, one eyebrow raised.

The bodyguard opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again, shaking his head slightly as he made his way to the trunk to grab the archaeologists bags. "Never mind." He muttered. Jones rolls his eyes before striding to the door, a confident (and slightly cocky) smile lighting up his tanned features.

Before he could even raise his hand to ring the doorbell the door was flung back, revealing the joyous face of Artemis Fowl I. "Henry!" He cried, pulling his friend into the manor. "How have you been? God, I haven't seen you in years. You look just like that picture of your dad you sent, the one where he was helping you work on your old bike."

Henry laughed whole-heartedly before freezing as he noticed the eyes staring at him coldly. They were an electric blue, and odd shade he had only seen once, and were narrowed in a slight glare. His skin was chalk white, an almost unhealthy shade, and if Henry looked close enough he could swear he saw a slight darkness around the boys eyes, like he had been lacking in sleep but not for very long. The boy was an imposing figure indeed, almost like a male Spalko. Henry shivered at the thought. He doubted he would ever forget _that_ particular adventure with his dad.

Artemis seemed to notice his friend discomfort before following his gaze. His grin lessened by a few molars, but no one seemed to notice.

He walked over to the teen, clamping a hand on his shoulder and forcing the smile back. "Henry, I don't think you've ever met my son in person, have you?" The boys glare worsened. "This is Arty. Arty, this is Henry Jones the Third." Artemis offered a reluctant hand and Henry took it, a smile returning to his face.

"Pleasure to meet you Doctor Jones." Arty said, his warm tone as forced as the slight smile (which looked more like a smirk) on his face. Henry blinked once, but just once.

"Please, Art, call me Mutt." Arty's glare returned ten fold. Obviously he did not appreciate the nickname.

Artemis Sr. winced at the tension growing in the air. His son was not a people person by any means, except with maybe business partners, but he'd been hoping his son wouldn't hold such-such _hostility_ to his friend on the first meeting. Hopefully the tension would ease off in a few days. Hopefully.

"Henry, I really think we need to catch up. Come on." He grabbed his friends wrist, chattering aimlessly as he pulled him in the direction of the sitting room. As Henry took one final glance at the Fowl boy he noticed on thing and one thing only. On the boys right hand on the middle finger there was a ring. It was simple enough, a gold band with a red jewel that almost seemed to pulse on it. What caught his attention were the markings on the band though.

Gnommish.

*I*N*T*E*R*M*I*S*S*I*O*N*

It was roughly three hours later that there was a knock on Artemis' study door.

The prodigy looked up from his computer, abruptly closing the window he had just been working on. Foaly spyed on him, he hacked Foaly. It was a vicious cycle, but one that continue none the less. Besides, it was mental stimuli to the very least. No one wanted wanted a Holmes-esque Black Fit from the genius, after all.

He sighed in a slightly exasperated manner as he started typing up one of his online lectures, as a cover, of course. "Who's there?" He asked, his voice calm and cool. He normally wouldn't ask, but with Jones staying for the week he had to be sure.

"It's Mutt." Came the slightly muffled reply. Artemis arched one thin eyebrow before his memory was jogged. _Ah yes,_ he recalled. _The name Doctor Jones insisted I call him._ With a roll of his eyes he let out a detached 'enter' as he continued with the lecture. It was on the effects of grief on ones mental health. He'd been meaning to do it for a while; three years, actually. He wasn't one to procrastinate, but for some odd reason he'd been putting it off for all this time. anyone could have been able to tell him, but he remained oblivious. How out of character.

Henry came it, shutting the door behind him with a light _click_ before taking a seat across from the genius, his eyes searching. Finally they came to rest on the ring. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that the markings were gnommish. He couldn't tell what they said, but to the very least he recognised the symbols.

"How do you know about the People?"

Artemis blanched, which most wouldn't have though possible, Doctor Jones included. The teens mind had gone blank, and the fact that the ring was now buzzing angrily on his middle finger was not helping one bit.

Henry raised an eyebrow in a similar manner Artemis had only moments ago at the 'ring'. "Are you going to get that," he said dryly. "Or should I?" Artemis shook his head in a weak attempt to clear it before taking off the communicator, setting it down beside the keyboard. He'd call back later, when someone he had just met _wasn't_ asking him how he knew about a species the other person them self shouldn't know about.

Finally, he found his voice again. "How do _you _know?" He asked the archaeologist suspiciously. Henry laughed, leaning back in his chair. This seemed to continue for what felt like ages.

"It's a long story." Jones said at last. "Though I assume yours is no shorter, so I'll begin."

A/N: I hope you guys didn't fall asleep during that. I found myself nodding off a few times myself writing it.**  
**Reviews welcome


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